1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to play yards, and more particularly the present invention is directed to a folding play yard with stabilized corner posts.
2. Background Information
A play yard, also known as a playpen, is a piece of furniture in which a baby is kept so that they will remain out of harm's way. Play yards can be very handy for caregivers as it offers a safe place to confine a baby, such as in the kitchen while the caregiver is cooking dinner or in the home office while a caregiver is working, for example. There remains a separate concern regarding play yards, beyond the scope of this discussion, of how to have the baby reside happily and independently in a play yard without starting to howl the instant she's put in! Having a line of sight through the sides of the play yard so the baby can see the caregiver may assist in this concern and it is very important that the caregiver always have the baby within their direct line of sight.
Play yards were traditionally made of wood, and consisted of a flat rectangular platform, usually rectangular in shape, with vertical slats on four sides, so that the baby can see out. The typical modern play yard has mesh sides and a floor that bends in the middle for folding. One common folding design has radiating floor struts extending to corner posts, wherein the floor struts are folded drawing the corner posts in a radial direction toward the hub as the play yard is moved to the stored or closed position. The mesh should have a small weave, less than ¼ inch, so the child's fingers and toes or buttons on the child's apparel can't get caught. On wooden models, the space between slats should be no wider than 2⅜ inches. It is crucial that play yards be set up properly with the floor properly positioned and the sides locked into place. The floor of the play yard may include a soft mat.
The walls or sides of the play yard are usually higher than the height of the child, so as to avoid climbing injuries. Play yards are generally for babies who weigh less than about 30 pounds and that are less than 36 inches high. In short, when it appears the child may be able to climb out of the play yard, it's time to give up the play yard. Within this application the terms babies, infants, toddlers and children can be used interchangeably without defining a significant difference between the meanings of the terms.
There are many modern and portable designs for play yards. The purpose of the play yard is to confine children who might otherwise wander off and hurt themselves. Further, children often enjoy the safety and comfort of the play yard, which can therefore be the preferred location for many activities.
As suggested above, portable play yards that collapse or fold have been developed. For example see U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,135 which discloses a foldable skeleton for a play yard. U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,038 provides a collapsible play yard with detachable cot, which is capable of accommodating a baby therein. U.S. Pat. No. Design 359,869 depicts a portable, collapsible baby mattress having a fabric base and two curved supports extending from opposite corners of the mattress and crossing above the center of the mattress. U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,462 provides a play yard for a baby that is easily collapsible and portable. Other similar patents describe collapsible play yard arrangements. However all of these devices are difficult to deploy and to store when they finished being used.
In particular folding designs having corner posts can often become unwieldy during the tear down operation as the corner posts are free to tip over away from the user as the unit is being stored. It is the objects of the present invention to address the deficiencies of the prior art collapsible play yards.